work over

verb

worked over; working over; works over
Synonyms of work overnext

transitive verb

1
: to subject to thorough examination, study, or treatment
shelf stock worked over by shoppers
2
: to do over : rework
saved the play by working the first act over
3
: to beat up or manhandle with thoroughness
My boxing opponent worked me over in the ring.

Examples of work over in a Sentence

the mob boss's thugs really worked him over
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its line-of-sight communication works over 50 miles, and satellite links can extend this for longer-range operations. Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026 Employees reportedly haven’t been told not to come to work over the weekend. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026 If a dozen new works over four days isn’t enough, try cramming 50 plays by 50 playwrights into a single day. Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026 Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), nonexempt employees must receive overtime at one-and-one-half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Fennemore, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for work over

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of work over was in 1832

Cite this Entry

“Work over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20over. Accessed 6 May. 2026.

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